Air conditioner



Sept. 28, 1965 A. FRIGERIO 3,208,236

AIR CONDITIONER Filed Jan. '51, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY SePt- 28,1965 A. FRIGERIO 3,208,236

AIR CONDITIONER Filed Jan. 3l, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

l 4 INVENTOR United States Patent O 3,208,236 AIR CONDITIONER AlvaroFrigerio, Via Cavalcanti 14, Milan, Italy Filed Jan. 31, 1964, Ser. No.341,791 '7 Claims. (Cl. 62-262) This invention relates t a novelarrangement of ducts used for conveying a flow of air in anair-conditioner in order to cool the condenser unit thereof.

According to the invention the-re are provided two concentric conduitmeans, one for conveying cooling air to the condenser unit of theair-conditioner, the other for discharging the heated cooling air to theatmosphere, the axial dimension of said conduit means being adjustablewithin certain limits.

The main object of the invention is to provide an airconditioner adaptedto be connected with the atmosphere surrounding the room in which theconditioner is located through length-adjustable conduit means whichpreferably end at an aperture formed in the window-pane.

It is known that there are on sale various types of air-conditionerscomprising a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser and means forcirculating air. These air* conditioners need openings for communicatingwith the outside atmosphere for the inlet and outlet of the air forcooling the condenser; usually these openings are formed in externalwalls or windows and the conditioner is xed so that for all practicalpurposes it is not portable.

Obviously this represents a disadvantage because the conditioner cannotbe brought either from one room to another of the same flat or even fromone window to another, and sometimes the presence of the inlet ductinhibits completely or partly use of the rolling shutters or similarmeans, as well as the opening of the window, in which the inlet openingis formed.

This invention provides a solution that eliminates said disadvantages bymeans `of a conditioner provided with contiguous concentric andlengthwise adjustable inlet and outlet ducts for the condenser, whichcan be easily introduced into an opening, for example in :a windowpane,provided with a packing and plug of transparent plastic material, thatcan be adapted to close the opening, when the conditioner is removed.

It has been found that the contiguity of the inlet and outlet ducts ofthe air for cooling the condenser does not prejudice the good efficiencyof the conditioner; the low temperature difference between the incomingand outgoing air, the material interposed, particularly a plasticmaterial, and the great speed of the air in the ducts prevent or limitvery much the heat exchange between the incoming and outgoing air.

The invention refers particularly, but non-exclusively, to conditionersin which the air for cooling the condenser is moved by a centrifugalfan, the inlet of which faces the condenser unit.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed descriptionthat follows of embodiments thereof, reference being had to thedrawings, wherein:

FIG. l is an axial sectional view of a conditioner according to thepresent invention, connected to a window;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the conditioner partially sectioned accordingto lines II-II of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of different extensible inlet andoutlet ducts;

FIG. 4 is a cross section of another type of inlet and outlet ducts.

The conditioner comprises a supporting structure 1, a compressor 2, animpeller 3 driven by a motor 4 and an evaporator 5. In the higher partof this structure a chamber 6 is provided having (see FIG. 2) acondenser unit 7, which faces a side wall of the structure, thecondenser '7 is contained within an housing having an inlet aperture andcommunicating through a coupling duct 8, with the section side of arotor 9 driven, for example, by a central motor 10.

Round the rotor 9 is a shell 10a communicating with an outlet duct 11,for example concentric with a second duct 12 having a bigger radius sothat the cross section of the circular annulus 13 has an almost equal orlittle greater section than that of the duct 11.

The duct 12 is connected to the structure 1, while the duct 11 can be anextension of the shell 10a, duct 11 for example consisting of plasticmaterial.

The ducts 12 and 13 are length-adjustable. In FIG. 1 is illustrated anembodiment in which two pipe sections 12a and 11a can slidetelescopically over and/or in the respective ducts 11 and 12, so thatthe total length a is changeable within wide limits according to onesown desire.

In FIG. 3 a different embodiment is shown, according to which the ducts11b and 12b are provided in their central part with elastic andextensible bellows 14, that allows their simultaneous extension; FIG. 4shows an embodiment in which the two ducts 11e and 12C are divided by anelastic and extensible middle wall 15 and are further provided with anelastic and extensible middle bellows 1419 for all the walls.

The extreme parts of the ducts 11a and 12a (see FIG. l) are providedwith radially extending spacing means 18, for example three of themplaced at a distance of the exterior duct 12a can have on its extremeend a seat 19 for a packing 20, with which the contour of the openingformed for example in a windowpane 21 is covered.

Moreover the duct 11a is longer than its correspondent 12a, so that itsmouth, compared with that of the duct 12a, is located at a greaterdistance from the windowpane and an immediate re-entering of thedischarged cooling air is practically impossible. The sucked cooling airmoves in the direction of the arrows A along the external duct and isdischarged in consequence of the pressure originated by the fan in thedirection of the arrows B through the duct 11a.

Of course with one of the solutions indicated here, or other ones to beeasily foreseen, but always within the spirit of the invention, theducts can be adapted to an opening easily formed in the window and thebody of the conditioner can be placed at any distance from the window;moreover, as the conditioner can be mounted on a support or a dolly withchangeable height, it is evident that a conditioner according to theinvention will be easily installed, making therefore possible its use indifferent rooms, its displacement for cleaning etc. During the periodsin which it is not used, it will be possible to close the opening in thewindows with a patch of transparent plastic material or similar means.The materials employed for the ducts can be of different types,preferred ones being however the plastic niaterials, as for examplepolyvinyl chloride and various plastic resins.

I claim:

1. In an air conditioner adapted to be placed in a room for cooling airtherein and having a condenser compartment containing a condenser, incombination, inlet duct means and outlet duct means having a common wallpoT- tion separating said duct means from each other and each of saidduct means having an inner end communicating with said compartment andan outer end adapted to cornrnunicate with the atmosphere outside theroom to be cooled; and means in said compartment for suckingfresh airthrough said inlet duct 4means over said condensel` and lfor dischargingthe thus heated air from the compartment through said outlet duct means,the outer end of said outlet duct means extending beyond the outer endof said inlet duct means to prevent heated air discharged from saidcompartment from being sucked back through said inlet duct means.

2. In an air conditioner adapted to be placed in a room for cooling airtherein and having a condenser compartment containing a condenser, incombination, inlet duct means and outlet duct means having a common wallportion separating said duct means from each other and each of said ductmeans having an inner end communicating with said compartment and anouter end adapted to communicate with the atmosphere outside the room tobe cooled, and means between said ends of said duct means for changingthe distance between said ends; and means in said compartment forsucking rfresh air through said inlet duct means over said condenser andfor discharging the thus `heated air from the compartment through saidoutlet duct means, the outer end of said outlet duct means extendingbeyond the outer end of said inlet duct means to prevent heated airdischarged from said compartment from being sucked back through saidinlet duct means.

3. In an air conditioner adapted to be placed in a room for cooling airtherein and having a condenser compartment containing a condenser, incombination, substantially cylindrical inlet duct means andsubstantially cylindrical outlet duct means of a smaller diameter thansaid inlet duct means and extending coaxially arranged with said inletduct means through the latter and each of said duct means having aninner end communicating with said compartment and an outer end adaptedto communicate with the atmosphere outside the room to be cooled andeach of said duct means having between said ends a telescoping portionfor changing the distance between said ends; and means in saidcompartment for sucking fresh air through said inlet duct means oversaid condenser and for discharging the thus heated air from thecompartment through said outlet duct means, the outer end of said outletductl means extending beyond the outer end of said inlet duct means toprevent heated air discharged from said cornpartment from being suckedback through said inlet duct means.

4. In an air conditioner adapted to be placed in a room for cooling airtherein and `having a condenser compartment containing a condenser, incombination, substantially cylindrical inlet duct means andsubstantially cylindrical outlet duct means of a smaller diameter thansaid inlet duct means and extending coaxially arranged with said inletduct means through the latter and each of said duct means having aninner end communicating with said compartment and an outer end adaptedto communicate with the atmosphere outside the room to be cooled andeach of said duct means having between said ends a telescoping portionfor changing the distance between said ends; means in said compartmentrfor sucking fresh air through said inlet duct means over said condenserand for discharging the thus heated air r.from the compartment throughsaid outlet duct means, the outer end of said outlet duct meansextending beyond the outer end of said inlet duct means to preventheated air discharged from said compartment from being sucked backthrough said inlet duct means; means at said outer end of said inletduct means for sealing the outer surface thereof with respect to anopening in a window pane or the like through which said outer end mayextend; and spacer means between said outer ends of said duct means forsupporting the outer end of said outlet duct means in the outer end ofsaid inlet duct means.

5. In an air conditioner adapted to be placed in a room for cooling airtherein and having a condenser compartment containing a condenser, incombination, inlet duct means and outlet duct means having a common wallportion separating said duct means from each other and each of said ductmeans having an inner end communicating with said compartment and anouter end adapted to communicate with the atmosphere outside the room tobe cooled, and bellows means between said ends of said duct means forchanging the distance between said ends; and means in said compartment-for sucking fresh air through said inlet duct means over said condenserand for discharging the thus 'heated air from the compartment throughsaid outlet duct means, the outer end of said outlet duct meansextending beyond the outer end of said inlet duct means to preventheated air discharged from said compartment from being sucked backthrough said inlet duct means.

6. In an air conditioner adapted to be placed in a room for cooling airtherein and having a condenser compartment containing a condenser, incombination, inlet duct means and outlet duct means arranged side byside and having a common wall portion separating said duct means fromeach other and each of said duct means having an inner end communicatingwith said compartment and an outer end adapted to communicate with theatmosphere outside the room to be cooled, and bellows means between saidends of said duct means for changing the distance between said ends; andmeans in said compartment for sucking fresh air through said inlet ductmeans over said condenser and for discharging the thus heated air yfromthe compartment through said outlet duct means, the outer end of saidoutlet duct means extending beyond the outer end of said inlet ductmeans to prevent heated air discharged Ifrom said compartment from beingsucked back through said inlet duct means.

7. In an air conditioner for cooling the air in a room, in combination,a housing; a partition dividing the housing into two compartments, oneof which communicates with the room to be cooled; means including anevaporator in said one compartment for supplying cooled air to saidroom; a condenser cooperating with said evaporator and located in theother of said two compartments; and means for sucking fresh air fromoutside the room over said condenser and for discharging the thus heatedair to the outside of the room, said last mentioned means includinginlet duct means and outlet duct means having a common wall portionseparating said duct means from each other, each of said d-uct meanshaving an inner end and an outer end and means between said ends forchanging the distance therebetween, said inner end of said inlet ductmeans being fixed about an opening in a wall forming said othercompartment so as to communicate with the interior of the latter, blowermeans in said other compartment and having an outlet end tixedlyconnected to said inner end of said outlet duct means so as tocommunicate therewith and said blower means having an inlet end, and aduct in said compartment extending from one side of said condenser tosaid inlet end of said blower means so that air entering said othercompartment through said inlet duct means will be sucked by said blowermeans over said condenser and pass through said duct and said outletduct means to the outside of the room, said outer end of said outletduct means extending beyond said outer end of said inlet duct means toprevent heated air discharged through said outlet duct means from beingsucked back into said other compartment through said inlet duct means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,621 9/36Chamberlin 98-39 2,099,188 11/37 Ballard 62-427 2,163,691 6/39 Lichty62--428 2,167,380 7/ 39 Whitlock 62`429 2,204,401 6/40 Butler 62-4292,210,458 8/ 40 Keilholtz 62-429 2,268,451 12/41 Hull 62-428 2,818,06012/57 Field 98-62 `3,052,230 9/62 Conrad 98-62 WILLIAM I. WYE, PrimaryExaminer.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

4. IN AN AIR CONDITIONER ADAPTED TO PLACED IN A ROOM FOR COOLING AIRTHEREIN AND HAVING A CONDENSER COMPARTMENT CONTAINING A CONDENSER, INCOMBINATION, SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL INLET DUCT MEANS ANDSUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTLET DUCT MEANS OF A SMALLER DIAMETER THANSAID INLET DUCT MEANS AND EXTENDING COAXIALLY ARRANGED WITH SAID INLETDUCT MEANS THROUGH THE LATTER AND EACH OF SAID DUCT MEANS HAVING ANINNER END ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID COMPARTMENT AND AN OUTER ENDADAPTED TO COMMUINCATE WITH THE ATMOSPHERE OUTSIDE THE ROOM TO BE COOLEDAND EACH OF SAID DUCT MEANS HAVING BETWEEN SAID ENDS A TELESCOPINGPORTION FOR CHANGING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID ENDS; MEANS IN SAIDCOMPARTMENT FOR SUCKING FRESH AIR THROUGH SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS OVERSAID CONDENSER AND FOR DISCHARGING THE THUS HEATED AIR FROM THECOMPARTMENT THROUGH SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS, THE OUTER END OF SAID INLETDUCT MEANS EXTENDING BEYOND THE OUTER END OF SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS TOPREVENT HEATED AIR DISCHARGED FROM SAID COMPARTMENT FROM BEING SUCCKEDBACK THROUGH SAID INLET DUCT MEANS; MEANS AT SAID OUTER END OF SAIDINLET DUCT MEANS FOR SEALING THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF WITH RESPECT TOAN OPENING IN A WINDOW PANE OR THE LIKE THROUGH WHICH SAID OUTER END MAYEXTEND; AND SPACER MEANS BETWEEN SAID OUTER ENDS OF SAID DUCT MEANS FORSUPPORTING THE OUTER END OF SAID OUTLET DUCT MEANS IN THE OUTER END OFSAID INLET DUCT MEANS.